Wantage-gage.



PATENTBD AUG. YZ5, 1908.

M. A. RUTENBER.

WANTAGE GAGE. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 17, 1907.

fllallnl Illrl Ill' MENZO A. RUTENBER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WANTAGE-GAGE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 25, 1908.

Application filed. June 17, 1907. Serial No. 379,499.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MENzo A. RUTENBER, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wantage-Gages; and I do', hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

-My invention relates to a novel construction in a device for accurately determining the volume of liquid contents of barrels or casks or the ullage or wantage thereof, the object being to provide a device of this character which is particularly adapted for use by gagers employed by the Government, and by distillers, rectifiers and liquor dealers generally toenable them to readily and accurately ascertain the uantity of liquid contained in, or the ullage o the barrel, and consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accom anying drawings illustrating my invention: igure 1 is a view in elevation of a device constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary central longitudinal section of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3, the connecting rods shown being represented as turned through an arc of ninety degrees from the position shown in Fig. 3. Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse sections on the lines 3 3 and 4`4 respectively of Fig. 2.

As before stated my device is designed particularly to meet the requirements of the liquor trade and 'internal revenue depart" ment of the Government as related to and controlling said liquor trade, and in the following I shall describe the invention and the method of em loying the same in its relation to this particu ar adaptation thereof, though it will be understood that its use is not conlined thereto.

The Government, in order to determine the taxes due it on spirituous liquors manufactured and sold in this country, prescribes that all such taxable liquors or spirits shall be packed and stored in barrels of various standard sizes ranging substantially from a ten gallon to a fifty gallon keg or barrel, these standard sizes being prescribed so that a single instrument called a wantage7 or ullage7 rod, and bearing on its various faces sets of graduations adapted to enable the ullage of each of said standard size packages to be read, will answer for gaging all of said packages.

The wantage rods now most generally em* ployed consist of a rectangular stick of wood on each face of which are longitudinally disposed sets of graduations beginning at a given point adjacent the up er -end of said rod and reading downwardlp one of said faces carrying an ordinary foot rule graduation reading upwardly from the lower end.

By inserting said rod in a barrel and sinking the same therein through the bung hole until the line at which the first-named sets of graduations begin is flush with the inner wall of the barrel at said bunghole, a wet line will appear on said rod and will indicate by reading, on the proper set of` graduations the quantity of liquid wanting to fill said barrel, the contents remaining being then readily calculated. Briefly, the wantage or outs are thus measured provided the barrel is not less than half full, but if less than half filled, the operation is reversed to measure the ins This is accomplished by sinking said rod until its lower end rests upon the bottom of the barrel and then extracting the same and reading the wet line in inches and fractions thereof. The depth in inches indicated is then deducted from the total length of the 'nsl foot rule scale from said first-named line'l equal the similar vacant space in the top of the barrel resulting from the withdrawal of a corresponding volume of li uid. I-Ience, the same graduations which in icate such wantage, would,by the inversion of the reading from the bottom of the cask, also indicate the "ins or contents remaining in the bottom of said barrel. The readings on the said rod are relatively difficult for various reasons the most important of which are 1st. That the wet line rapidly disappears by reason of the highly evaporative character of the liquid and by reason of the transparency of such liquid is not easily discernible.

become badly discolored.

My present invention has for its particular objects to provide a-device which 1s not discolored or otherwise affected by the liquid; by means of which a sam le of the liquid is extracted, and which sai sample indicates clearly and during any desired interval of time on the graduated scales contained on the instrument either the ins or the outs and which said reading or indicationis so clearly and positively defined as to be easily readable in relatively dark places, as will hereinafter more fully appear. To these and other ends my said device comprises a transparent glass tube A open at both ends and which is inclosed in a tubular metal jacket B on both ends of which heads C and D are.

mounted, between which and the ends of said tube A, washers E are compressed, the latter consisting preferably of cork treated with beeswax to render it impermeable to liquid. The `head C of said jacket B is rovided with a centrally disposed valve-seat 1 on which the valve G seats, the latter having a tongue H p/ojecting below the lower end ofthe head C.

ounted in the latter concentric therewith and with said valve-seat is a tube I of smaller diameter than the tube A, which is provided with o enings J Mounted in the free end of said tu e I is a head K having a central opening through which the upper end of the stem L of the valve G passes, and having openings disposed on diametrically o posite sides of sal central opening throug which rods M ass, the latter being connected at their ower ends with a cross in N passing through said valve-stem L adjacent its lower end. Said valve-stem L is reduced between its ends and further reduced at its u per end to provide two annular shoulders and P thereon, the former of which serves as a seat for the lower end of the compression s ring Q confined between the same and said iiead K to hold said valve G normally closed, and said shoulder P serving to limit the o ening movement of said valve. The inner iameter of the said tube I is greater than the largest diameter of said valve G so that when the latter is raised liquid may pass through the annular s ace between said valve and the mnerwall o said tube I and through the o enings J in the latter into said tube A. e head D of said jacket B is provided with a central opening through which a vertically movable p unger R passes, the latter being provided at its lower end with an annular ange S and at its upper end carrying a suitable knob or button T which is readily grasped by the hand to open said valve G against the action of the spring Q. ltevolubly mounted on said lunger R is a plate U which is held thereon by means of said annular llange S and which is provided at diametrically .opposite sides of its central o ening with openlngs in which the upper em s of said rods M are secured, said plunger R being thus connected with said valve G so that the latter may be opened thereby. It will be noted, however, that said' late U is free to move vertically on said p unger R so that pressure on the latter applied simultaneously with pressure on the tongue II will not prevent o ening of the valve G. The said head D is urther openings V isposed around said central opening therein through which air displaced by liquid rising in said tube A readily escapes. Thc sald jacket B is longitudinally slotted on diametrically opposite sides, the.

slots W and X therein being spanned at intervals by straps Y integral with the said jacket to prevent spreading of the walls thereof. As-*shown in Fig. 3 the saidrods M are so disposed that neither of the same is in alinement with to obscure the view through said slots W, so that the level of liquid in said tube A can be readily seen through the said slots.

My said device is greater in llength than the diameter of the largest barrel to be gaged, and the lower end portion of the jacket B thereof is provided exteriorly with longitudinally disposed graduated scales, the total number of the latter being equal to the total `number of different sizes of standard barrels prescribed or used, and which vary in length accordingly; that scale designed for the lar est size barrel being, ofcourse, the longest an extending over less than one-half the total length of the device, beginning with the extreme lower end of said tongue H which form the startin point of each of said graduated scales. T e latter are contained in longitudinal fields dened by longitudinal roove Z in the wall of the jacket B, said elds being preferably of equal width. Mounted on said jacket B and longitudinally movable thereon is a sleeve l27 provided on diametrically opposite sides with slots 28 corresponding in width and registerin with the slots W and X, said sleeve bein he d against revolution relatively to the sai jacket B by means of a rojection 29 on said sleeve 27 entering andpiitting one of said slots in said jacket. Secured to said sleeve 27 at its upper end ortion is a flat spring 30 the lower end of w ich carries said rojection 29 and also an outwardly projectmg ange 31, the free end portion of said spring 30 being bent between its ends and the extreme free end portion bearing normally upon the jacket B to maintain said sleeve frictionally against rovided with a plurality ofv.said sleeve is divided into fields corres ing in number and location with the iie ds on of charring internall longitudinal movement on said jacket. A flange 32 on the upper end of said spring 3() enables said sleeve 27 to be readily moved by the operator. The outer face of ondtlie jacket B and eachcontaining graduated scales having its starting point in a horizontal plane ilush with the upper face of said flange 31, and reading downwardly. In the upper ortion of each of said fields above the starting point of the graduated scale therein is marked the standard ca acity of the barrel which the graduated sca e contained in said field is adapted to.

The standard size barrels will vary somewhat in capacity, it being relatively impossible to make the same so exact as to prevent any variations. For this reason a barrel supposed to have a capacity of ten gallons is designated on the instrument as 9-11 and a fifty gallon barrel as a 4571--49 representing the minimum and maximum capacities of such barrels.

My said device is used as follows in gaging: If the barrel be less than half full, then the contents thereof must be measured by determining the level of the liquid therein on the rgraduated scales on the jack'et B. To accomplish this, the instrument is inserted into the unghole until the tongue H of the valve G strikes the bottom. Pressure on the body of the instrument will cause the said valve to open'whereupon liquid will enter the glass tube A and rise therein to the level of the liquid in the barrel. By then releasing the body of the instrument the said valvewill close and conline the liquid so that by removing the instrument and holding the same between the eyes and a source of light, the level of the li uid is easily seen through the slots W and By placing the index finger on the jacket B at the level of the liquid and turning the instrument relatively to said index finger until the latter rests on the graduated scale corresponding to the capacity of the barrel `from which the liquidwas drawn, the reading on each scale will show within a given percentage the number of gallons contained in the barrel. Absolute accuracy is not attainable by reason of variations in convexity of the barrels and variations in depth It the level of' the ilquid is higher than the topmost figure on the graduated scale, then the reading'must be taken on the wantage scales. To effect this, the sleeve 27 is moved downwardly on the jacket B so that the lower end of the graduated scale on said sleeve marked with the capacity of the barrel to be gaged slightly overlaps the corresponding scale on the jacket B. The instrument is then reinserted in the barrel'and held so that the flange 31 bears a ainst the inner wall of the barrel at the bung ole. The knob or button T is then drawn u iwardly, whereupon the liquid will adjust its evel in said tube A to correspond with the level in the barrel. The knob is then released to close the valve, when, upon removing the instrument the wantage can obviously be read on the graduated scale on said sleeve 27. The liquid contained in the tube A is then returned to the barrel by partly reinserting the instrument and opening the valve by drawing the knob T upwardly to open the valve.

My device is also applicable as a means for readily withdrawing samples from the barrel, as will be obvious, and will serve as a means for adjusting the color of liquor contained in various barrels to correspond exactly.

1 claim as my invention:

1. A device of the kind specified, comprising in combination a transparent tubular receptacle, a jacket inclosing same and provided witli diametrically oppositely disposed longitudinal slots, a valve controlled opening in the lower end of said jacket through which liquid is admitted and exhausted, operating means connected with said valve, and a longitudinally movable sleeve on said acket provided with longitudinal slots adapted to register with said slots in said jacket, said jacket and sleeve being provided with oppositely reading graduated scales on which the liquid level in said receptacle will indicate the volume of contents or wantage of barrels of various capacities.

2. A device of the kind specified, comprising in combination, a transparent tubular receptacle, a acket inclosing the same, said jacket being provided at opposite ends with a valve controlled inlet for liquid and air discharge openings through which liquid and air are admitted and discharged from-said tubular receptacle, means connected with the valve controlling said first-named opening, a sleeve longitudinally movable on said jacket, said jacket and sleeve having registering diametrically oppositely disposed longitudinal slots, and graduated scales on said jacket and sleeve on which the liquid level in said receptacle indicates the volume of contents of barrels in which said device is inserted.

3. A device of the kind specified, comprising ,in combination, a transparent tubular receptacle, a jacket inclosing the same, said jacket being provided at opposite ends with a valve controlled inlet for liquidand air discharge openings through which Jliquid and air are respectively admitted to and discharged fromsaid tubular receptacle, operating means connected with'the valve controlling said iirst-named opening, a sleeve longitudinally movable on said jacket, said jacket and sleeve having registering diametrically oppositely disposed longitudinal slots, graduated scales on said jacket having a common starting point at the lowermost end of said device, a i projection on said sleeve, and graduated scales on said sleeve, having a common starting point in the plane of the highest point in sa1d projection, the level of liquid contained in said lreceptacle indicating on said graduated scales the volurne of liquid contents of the barrel.

4. A device of the kind specified, comprising a glass tube, a metal casing inclosing the same andprovided with two diametrically oppositely disposed longitudinal slots, heads disposed at the ends of said casing and provided With central openings, a spring-actuated valve controlling the opening in one of said heads, a longitudinally reciprocal plunger disposed in the other head, and connecting rods connecting` said valve with said plunger disposed within said glass tube out,

of alinement with the slots in said casing.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing Wit- 

